What's happening here?
Its July 8, 1989 and in a quiet corner of the changing rooms at Ballymore Brisbane a slightly shell-shocked and disbelieving Jerry Guscott is taking in the enormity of the Lions 19-12 win over Australia in the second Test. It was his Lions Test debut and after getting thumped 30-12 in the first Test in Sydney the series had been on the line. The Lions needed to respond. And they did.
What’s the story behind the picture?
There are a couple of narratives going on here, one personal, one collective. Bath supporters had been beating the drum about Guscott for some time both as a wing – where he started out – and as a centre of exquisite promise. England, though, had been a little slow on the uptake but in May 1989 they had finally given him a debut against Romania in Bucharest, and he obliged with a hat-trick as the England backs ran riot.
Guscott had been spoken about as a Lions bolter but had missed out in the initial selection only for England skipper Will Carling to drop out with a shin splints injury. Guscott was on the plane after all.
Mike Hall and Brendan Mullin were preferred at centre for the first Test and the Lions got taken to the cleaners, losing 30-12, outscored four tries to nil. The ‘failure’ was collective – the forwards lost out physically to a psyched up Aussie pack and the backs were anonymous behind a struggling pack.
Denne historien er fra February 21, 2021-utgaven av The Rugby Paper.
Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.
Allerede abonnent ? Logg på
Denne historien er fra February 21, 2021-utgaven av The Rugby Paper.
Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.
Allerede abonnent? Logg på
Unbeaten Lymm put the Tykes on a leash
LYMM maintained their unbeaten start to the campaign, taking the major scalp of Leeds Tykes and ending the visitors' unblemished start.
Dramatic late win boosts leaders
A LAST-minute converted try saw Tonbridge Juddians snatch victory from the jaws of defeat at Barnes.
England need to be more consistent
I WAS at last week's game against the All Blacks and as much as I enjoyed my first visit to the stadium since the Six Nations, I couldn't help noticing a different attitude of those in control of the stadium's notification system which puts out messages to the crowd.
Cuthbert: Wales have to deliver
ALEX Cuthbert says the pressure on Wales is huge ahead of their opening Autumn Nations Series game against Fiji today.
Anyanwu heads the list of star attractions
TOP 14 transfer speculation is always thoroughly entertaining, and this season has so far been no exception.
Goldthorp can challenge Kildunne for No.15 spot
LOUGHBOROUGH Lightning head coach Nathan Smith is backing Fran Goldthorp to compete with Ellie Kildunne, right, for England's No.15 jersey.
Four-try David calls the shots for Bears
MILLIE David helped Bristol blow Leicester away after scoring four of their 10 tries at Welford Road.
Scott-Young keen to follow his father
TYPICAL of most Australians, Scott-Young Angus has fairly sunny disposition and the loose forward is confident that Saints can soon start to turn things around on the road.
When value for money is not part of the deal
ENGLAND'S bench strategy against New Zealand - goodbye \"bomb squad\", hello \"squib squad\"-has been investigated, psychoanalysed, convicted on all charges and mercilessly sentenced by the entire rugby world and its maiden aunt, so there is no earthly point in returning to the scene of the crime.
'I want to prove my worth to Bath'
OUT-OF-FAVOUR winger RuBath aridh McConnochie is hoping to use the Premiership Cup to lay down a challenge to Johann van Graan and make his selection claims impossible to ignore.
